


Rising Tides

by UnproblematicMe



Series: Reverse Omens: Golden Snake and Black Cat [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, M/M, Reverse Omens, Scene: Flood in Mesopotamia 3004 BC (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:28:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22898758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnproblematicMe/pseuds/UnproblematicMe
Summary: A few hours before the Great Flood a demon catches an angel breaking the rules.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Reverse Omens: Golden Snake and Black Cat [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1645828
Comments: 12
Kudos: 174





	Rising Tides

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who changed her mind about the Reverse Omens fic being a one-shot? Wait! How did you know it was me?

An uncommonly fresh wind tussled Aziraphale‘s hair and the demon leaned against the tree behind him with a relieved sigh. The sun burnt hot on Mesopotamia, a cooling rush of air being as rare as an unoccupied bower under a tree. It was hard to believe that soon it was about to rain for several weeks, months even. So much that it would flood the area and drown most of the locals. But that was what he had been told by his superiors and their sources usually were reliable.

Without a clue, the people bustled about, following their daily routine, not even having the slightest idea about the impending doom. They were buying and selling goods, laughing and talking, playing games and singing songs. Aziraphale felt very bad for them, but this time it really was not his fault. Not at all.

“Well done, sugar,” Lucifer had purred in his ear when Aziraphale had told him that none of the locals believed God’s prophet Noah and nobody wanted to join him in his task to build an arc to escape the rising waters.

Actually Aziraphale had done nothing. When he had arrived and started talking to the humans, they already were convinced that Noah was just a mad man. While it was nice that he did not have to make up an excuse for _not_ persuading the humans to ignore Noah[1], he really did not want to think about the consequences. He felt especially bad for the children. The adults might have angered God, but the little ones? Did they not deserve the chance to grow up and do right?

Then again, with God it always seemed to be a gamble what She deemed right or wrong. Heav…, Hel…, well a lot of people knew, that Aziraphale was very bad at understanding what God wanted. Hence the whole Falling thing.

In this case it apparently was a sin not to believe in the words of God’s prophet Noah, but following false prophets was a sin as well. Only, how could the humans know the difference between a charlatan and real prophet when both of them just claimed to have instructions from God? It wasn’t that She gave out certificates. Maybe She should. Would Heaven take improvement proposals from a demon?

After one last wistful look over the unsuspecting humans and making sure nobody was paying attention to him, Aziraphale turned into his cat form and strayed towards the arc. The construction was done, but Noah and his sons were still busy catching two specimen of every species of animal native to the area.

A lot of curious neighbors were watching as Noah’s family got the animals, some more cooperative than others, towards the arc. But Aziraphale was distracted by a familiar presence. Curious he sneaked around the construction. Here, on the other side of the boat, hidden from the humans’ eyes, he saw a lone figure busy at the bow of the arc.

In human form Aziraphale would have blushed. The man shaped being fixing a hole in the boat– or trying to – was Corael, the handsome angel who had been so nice to him in Eden. He had not attacked Aziraphale then or whenever they had met afterwards on Earth, despite the demon being responsible for the Fall of Humanity. Corael had even given away his flaming sword to ease Aziraphale’s mind over the safety of Adam and Eve. The demon never had had the courage to ask if the angel had gotten in trouble because of this.

“Hello, Aziraphale,” the angel said, without looking up from his task.

Flustered Aziraphale returned to his human form and Corael grinned at him.

“Nice sneaking, Kitten, but I recognize your presence by now. No surprise attacks for you,” he teased.

“I wasn’t going to attack you,” Aziraphale hurried to say. “I just didn’t want to disturb you while you were fixing the boat – or, well, something similar.”

“Are you making fun of me?” Corael asked, striking a very angelic and threatening pose. But Aziraphale was not scared. Corael had not tried to smite him for ruining paradise, so he sure would not do so for teasing him.

“Oh, nothing could be further from my intentions,” he said dramatically and with a wide innocent look. “I am sure all those cracks and gaps in the bow are completely in line with the newest techniques of naval architecture.”

Corael narrowed his eyes at the demon, but soon a smirk forced its way on his sharp features.

“Could you do better, Kitten?” he wanted to know.

“I would use a miracle, so yes.” Aziraphale smiled.

“Not really an option here, I’m afraid.” Corael frowned. “Don’t want somebody to ask questions.”

“Why not?” Aziraphale asked. “Heaven wants this boat to float, so to speak, so you fixing it after an act of vandalism would be approved of, right?”

“Well, they might ask for the vandal then…”

“So, how is that a… wait! Did you make a hole in the ship?”

Corael shrugged helplessly.

“Why did you do that?” Aziraphale asked.

Suddenly there sounded a knock from behind the poorly fixed planks. Muffled voices said Corael’s name.

“I’m hungry.”

“I’m thirsty.”

“I have to pee.”

“This is boring.”

Aziraphale snapped his fingers and the pieces of wood Corael had used to repair the hole disappeared. A group of children sat in the ship’s bow, staring at Corael and Aziraphale.

“What…?” Aziraphale asked but was interrupted

“You little monsters stay where you are,” the angel told the children before pulling Aziraphale aside.

“Corael, dear, what are you doing?” the demon asked.

“The people keep their kids away from ‘crazy Noah’,” Corael explained. “But I can save the orphans. Nobody cares where they are.”

“But doesn’t Noah have instructions to only take ‘believers’ with him? What if he finds the children?”

“I… don’t know.”

“Well, haven’t you thought that through?” Aziraphale said sarcastically.

“Not helping, Kitten.”

Aziraphale could not help but smile. Corael really was not like the other angels. Having known him for quite a while, he could say that the redheaded angel was not necessarily nice. He could be very grumpy or even outright rude. But he cared. So unlike Gabriel or Michael who were polite and calm but would always put rules before kindness.

Behind Corael’s angry façade Aziraphale could see the pain of being helpless against the catastrophe to come. And the faint hope to change at least something.

Aziraphale snapped his fingers again. Blankets, freshwater and food for the children appeared as well as some wooden toys and a huge bucket for other urges. Unlike angels, demons did not need to justify tiny miracles like that in front of their superiors.

“Now, my dears,” he told the children. “You have everything you need. So you’ll be good now and sleep a while.”

Immediately the children sank down to the blankets and fell into a deep sleep. The demon snapped his fingers one last time. The sad remains of Corael’s repair work as well as some intact pieces of wood broke away.

“What the Hell, Aziraphale?” Corael growled and for the first time ever Aziraphale was the object of his anger.

But the demon remained calm.

“Well, a demonic miracle damaged the arc,” he explained. “Nobody will question a divine miracle to fix it, right?”

A grin spread across Corael’s face.

“No, I had to thwart the foul fiend that tried to sabotage God’s chosen prophet,” he smirked, speaking the words ‘foul fiend’ so tenderly that Aziraphale blushed deeply.

“R…right and you should also be on board to protect the ship,” Aziraphale continued. “But of course the humans must not see you. Which is a perfect explanation for a veiling miracle in one of the storage rooms.”

If possible, Corael’s grin widened.

“My, my, my, kitten,” he said in a velvety voice. “If you’d put that smart and pretty head of yours in for actual evil, you’d be a menace.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’d thwart me easily,” Aziraphale answered, feeling his face heat up with every word the angel spoke.

“Maybe,” Corael smiled, but then his face fell. “You won’t tell anyone what I did here, will you?”

“What? Right after telling them that I helped you to save innocent children?” Aziraphale laughed without humor and added sarcastically: “I’m sure the Dark Council would just _love_ to hear that.”

“Point taken,” Corael chuckled.

“But if you are unsure,” Aziraphale started hesitantly. “As a demon I am very open to bribery.”

“Bribery?” The angel raised a brow in surprise.

“Y…yes, an invitation to lunch would guarantee my silence,” said Aziraphale, averting his gaze.

For a moment Corael said nothing and Aziraphale feared that he had pushed his luck too far. But when he finally dared to look at Corael again, the angel looked extremely amused.

“Oh, woe is me,” he all but purred. “I guess I have no choice then. Any preferences, Kitten?”

*

Two hours later an angel and a demon watched as the final preparations for the Arc's journey were made. Everything went well, except for one unicorn to escape.

"I guess that's why God told them to have two of each," Aziraphale mused. "In case one runs off."

Corael chuckled at that and whispered something in the demon's ear. Aziraphale's eyes widened.

"All animals?" he asked. "Humans, too?"

"Humans, too," the angel nodded.

Beaming brightly Aziraphale looked around.

"That's why they keep doing that!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Corael just stared at the blonde demon standing beside him. Boy, he was in trouble, but then again, he had been since the beginning.

The End

[1] Other than “I am a pathetic excuse for a demon and really don’t want all these innocent people to drown.” of course.


End file.
